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On the heels of the Napolitano press conference, in which the Homeland Secretary said the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico was of "national significance," energy stocks have come off their highs, and several are in negative territory.

Energy prices were quiet yesterday (Wednesday). Natural gas recovered slightly for the first time this week but was trending lower in after-hours trading. For today’s DOE release, the crowd is looking for a 70 Bcf injection. Meanwhile crude oil was strong despite a larger than expected build, and the products fell on the back of another build in ultra-low sulfur diesel stocks. Expect increased volatility as the products approach expiry.

The Dow remained higher in mid-afternoon Monday amid a flurry of new M&A activity and an earnings beat from Caterpillar. But there was some weakness in the energy, banking and health-care sectors, which dragged on the S&P and Nasdaq.

While corn ethanol dominates the current biofuel market, the future of clean liquid-energy looks more likely to be found floating on ponds than growing in fields. "It algae has the potential to revolutionize the field of biofuels," says one analyst.

Oil rose above $82 a barrel on Wednesday on a recovery in demand in the U.S. before dipping slightly on Thursday. Meanwhile, the S&P reached its highest since October 2008 this week. Can the positive relationship between oil prices and the stock market continue? Rick Szpila of JPMorgan Futures and J.J. Burns of J.J. Burns & Company discussed their outlooks.

As seasonal demand shifts with the warming weather in the Northern Hemisphere, energy traders have been playing the spread between gasoline and heating oil, known as the “widowmaker.” Should you get in? Addison Armstrong, director of market research at Tradition Energy, and John Kilduff, co-CIO of Round Earth Capital, discussed their insights.

How should investors prepare their portfolios for next week? Peter Andersen, portfolio manager at Congress Asset Management Company, and Peter Costa, president of Empire Executions and CNBC market analyst, shared their best plays.

This has been another big week for bond issuance...on the heels of the successful Citigroup sale of trust preferreds (a hybrid instrument), Bank of America, GMAC, Novartis Capital, DirecTV, MGM Mirage and Royal Bank of Scotland have all sold bonds this week. Prices have dramatically improved: MGM, for instance, sold $845 million in notes Tuesday night at a yield of only 9 percent.